I’ve always feared the ocean, first because, of course, I was scared of drowning or being eaten by a shark, but also because I was always seasick. One day, I was on the island of Utila, in Honduras, where you can dive in the world’s second-largest coral reef ecosystem. While I was in Utila, I got the opportunity to do my Open Water diving course. I was going to face my two biggest fears together: being under a huge mass of water and being seasick at the same time! I decided to take a chance.

For my first dives, everything went well. The dives were from the shore, so no boat was needed. However, once I took the boat to reach the reef, I got seasick. I ignored this feeling, thinking that it was going to go away once I went underwater, but it didn’t. I remember calling the attention of the dive master in the middle of the dive, urgently telling him that I needed to go to the surface. Once at the surface, I couldn’t stop vomiting. I was so sick, and the waves, the boat, my head—everything was spinning!

Normally, that would have traumatized me, and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it again. But my boyfriend at the time (and husband today) encouraged me to try again. He said that it wasn’t my fear that made me sick; it was probably all the drinking we had done the day before. So, I believed him, blamed the alcohol, and tried diving one more time (lol). Surprisingly, everything went well on the next two dives. I saw the coral reef walls, hundreds of fish, and two majestic eagle rays. Immediately, I fell in love with my fear: the ocean. After this, my whole career switched to marine science, and I worked in the same marine park for the next four years, protecting those same reefs that helped me overcome my fears.

Today, I love being in the ocean, and I still feel overwhelmed when I see the infinite blue while I am diving. I am still aware that there might be animals that see me as a threat and may attack in their defense, and I am also aware of all the risks of diving in the open ocean. However, thanks to diving and the privilege of seeing unique marine life, some still unknown to science; thanks to the amazing colours, forms, and textures that the reef offers; thanks to the freedom of opening my arms and feeling as if I am flying; and thanks to the incredible wildlife encounters with sharks, octopuses, dolphins, massive parrotfish, turtles, and more... now I am not scared of the ocean. I respect it, I love it, and I protect it.